Why most B2B marketing, sales genAI projects aren’t successful

B2B organizations of all sizes are diving into artificial intelligence (AI), but new research from Forrester reveals that many are falling short in effectively developing it.

A large majority of B2B organizations are planning to invest in generative AI (genAI) to personalize marketing and sales efforts in 2025.

However, just pouring money into technology isn’t enough to ensure a good return. According to Forrester’s 2024 survey, 82% of global B2B marketing decision-makers acknowledge that buyers expect highly personalized marketing and sales experiences tailored to their needs. Achieving this level of personalization requires a deeper understanding of how to integrate genAI’s capabilities throughout the buyer’s journey, ensuring content is aligned with buyer needs. Marketers face significant challenges due to technical debt, with many using seven to 10 disconnected technologies to manage personalization.

B2B organizations and genAI expectations

To unlock genAI’s full potential, B2B organizations must seamlessly integrated their technologies. While most organizations won’t fully solve personalization in 2025, those that focus on connecting technologies to create unified, buyer-centric experiences will have the best chance to see their investments pay off, according to the report.

Meanwhile, sales productivity is expected to decline by 10% as genAI initiatives fail to meet expectations. As more advanced genAI technology enters the market, companies are pouring money into these solutions hoping for quick ROI. However, organizations are underestimating the difficulty of getting sellers to adopt the technology.

For years, sales leaders have pushed sellers to log interactions — something critical to realizing genAI’s value — but analysis shows this effort has failed, with sellers logging interactions for only 20% of opportunities. Additionally, organizations are misjudging how long it will take to see ROI from their AI investments.

Recent Forrester research found that only 5% of U.S. AI decision-makers expect to see ROI within a year, while 46% are willing to wait three or more years for positive returns. The pressure to see immediate productivity gains is likely to lead to hiring freezes and added pressure on sales teams. To succeed, organizations must acknowledge that adopting genAI will require extra effort in the short term but will pay off eventually.

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